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Message  of  the 
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MESSAGE  OF    J  HE   PKESlDEXT. 

Richmond,  Va.,  Feb.  8,  1864. 

To  the  House  of  Representatives  : 

J  herewith  transmit  a  eommunicarion  from  the  Secretary  of  War, 
in  response  to  your  resolution  of  the  15th  ult.,  requesting  to  be  in- 
formed "  by  what  authority  Gens.  Sam  Jones  and  Imboden  have  pro- 
hibited the  transportation  of  food  from  the  military  districts  in  which 
they  are  locnte<i.  to  the  city  of  Richmond,  for  private  use  and  con- 
confluraption. 

JEFFERSON  DAVIS. 


COMMUNICATION  FROM  SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 

Confederate  States  of  America,       i 

War  Departmmt,  n 

Richmond.  Feb,  4.  18fi4.  > 

To  the  Fresident  of  the  Confederate  Stales  : 

Sir  :  I  have  received  a  resolution  of  the  House  oi"  Representatives, 
'•equesting  to  he  informed  '*  by  what  authority  Generals  Sam  Jones 
\nd  Imboden  have  prohibited  the  transportation  of  food  from  the  mil- 
itary districts  in  which  they  are  located,  to  the  city  of  Richmond, 
for  private  use  and  consumption.*' 

In  reply,  I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  rep.T"t?  from  the  two 
gonernls  named,  respoLsiveto  the  resolution  of  the  House. 
Verv  rflSDeetfullv,  your  ob't  serv't, 

JAMES  A.  SEDDON, 

Secretary  of  War. 


-P   / 


Hkadouauktkh  C,  8.  Forces,  near  Moint  Jackson,  \a..  >      i 

January  SWh,   1864.  S 

Gen.  y.  CooiKu,  ...I.  <u)d  /.   <>..  llkkmond,  Va.  : 

Oenf.ral  :  Absence  on  leave  from  my  command  has  delKyed  a  xr- 
sponse  to  the  resolution  of  the  House  of  Representatives, calling  for  in- 
formation in  regard  to  the  authority  under  which  I  acted,  in  prohibiting, 
by  Special  Orders,  No.  78,  Headquarters  Valley  District,  November 
28,  1863,  the  removal  of  supplies  from  the  district  then  under  my 
command.     I  beg  le-ave  nc"w,  respectfully,  to  submit: 

1st.  The  order  itself,  a  copy  of  which  please  find  enclosed,  which 
shows  that  the  prohibition  "^as  not  general,  and  was  only  enforced  to 
an  extent,  deemed  by  me,  ft  om  a  full  knowledge  of  the  wants  of  the 
army,  absolutely  necessary  to  prevent  great  suifering  in  my  own  com- 
mand, and  others  dependent  in  a  laige  degree  upon  the  products  of 
this  rich  district  for  their  supplies.  The  reasons  for  the  order  are 
stated  on  its  face. 

2d.  The  authority  under  which  I  acted,  I  conceive,  was  conferred 
by  act  of  Congress  and  the  general  orders  from  the  Adjutant  and 
Inspector  General's  office,  of  March  19th  and  November  6th,  1863, 
authorizing  and  regulating  impressments.  Nothing  but  the  most  im- 
perative necessity  could  have  induced  me  to  make  the  order  which  1 
knew  would  evoke  strong  oppogftion,  and,  perhaps,  denunciation,  from 
those  whose  money-making  operations  it  would  interfere  with ;  but, 
Avhen  gaunt  want  began  to  stare  my  unsheltered,  patient  and  faithful 
soldiers  in  the  face — men  who  have  not  had  ten  days  rest,  at  .any 
one  time,  since  April.  1863,  nor  even  a  hut  to  shelter  them  during 
oil  the  cold  of  this  winter — I  thought  a  case  of  that  imperative  neces- 
'  y  had  arisen  for  the  relief  of  which  the  impressment  law  was  enacted  : 
n.id  I  did  not  hestate  to  execute  the  authority  I  believed  I  possessed, 
''nder  the  operation  of  my  order  our  imroediate  necessities  were  re- 
iicM'ed,  though  a  number  of  speculators  failed  to  realize  their  antici- 
pated ga'ns;  and,  having  broken  up  speculation  in  provisions,!  on 
r.he  24th  of  December,  1863,  so  modified  the  order  as  not  to  require 
a  permit  for  the  removal  from  the  district  of  supplies  purchased,  bonu 
y/rfc,  for  private  consumption,  and  not  for  sale  or  speculation. 

In  conclusion,  permit  me  to  say  that,  w"ithout  a  resort  to  impressment, 
it  is  not  possible  for  me  to  procure  indispensable  supplies  for  my  own 
nmall  command,  at  the  authorized  schedule  prices,  though  i  know  such 
supplies  are  in  almost  every  part  of  the  district,  in  sufficient  quantity  to 
be  spared  for  our  support,  without  seriously  inconvenieitcing,  and  cer- 
loinly  without  distressing,  the  people.  But  the  holders,  especially  if 
t-pcculators — and  their  name  is  legion — will  not  sell  at  Government 
j>rice8,  if  they  can  find  a  purchaser  willing  to  pay  more.  I  mufsr, 
therefore,  either  impress  subsistence,  or  see  my  men  sufi"er  for  bread 
and  meat.  I  have  no  doubt,  when  this  alternative  is  presented,  I 
have  the  authority,  and  it  is  my  duty,  to  impress.  My  order,  there- 
fore^  remains  in  force  against  all  speculators  as  therein  defined,  and 


will  not  be  revoked  as  to  them,  as  long  as  the  necessity  exists,  which 
caused  its  publication,  unless  its  revocation  is  ordered  by  my  military 
superiors,  or  the  authority  to  enforce  it  is  abrogated  by  lavr. 
Very  respectfully. 

Your  obedient  servant, 

J.  D.  IMBODEN, 
Brigadier  General  commanding. 


ItEADQU^KTERS  VaLLEY  DiSTRICT, 

SptoiAL  Okdk.rs.  No.  78. 


Linvilk's  Cnek,  Nov.  28,  1863, 


\ 


I.C  having  been  rt^presented  to  the  general  comiTianding,  that  the 
otticers  and  agents  of  the  subhistence  department  of  this  district,  are 
unable  to  procure  the  supplies  imperatively  required  for  the  army, 
by  purchase,  because  speculators  are  in  the  market  paying  higher 
price:*  than  those  fixed  by  the  Grovernment  commissioners,  and  send- 
ing such  supplies  out.  of  the  district,  to  be  >old  again,  it  is  ordered 
that  the  commissaries  of  subsistence,  at  >iew  Marker,  Harrisonburg, 
Staunton  and  Lexington,  and  those  on  duty  with  the  command  in  the 
field,  do  impress,  for  the  use  of  the  army,  all  the  necessaries  of  sub- 
sistence found  in  the  hands  of  speculators,  or  which  have  been  sold  to 
speculators,  though  not  delivered,  to  bf  sent  out  of  the  district ;  and 
by  the  term  speculator  is  meant  any  cne  who  buys  to  sell  again  ;  and 
any  one  in  this  military  district  making  alleged  purchases  ior  private 
consumption,  or  for  the  use  of  the  poor  or  soidiers  families  in  other 
districts,  for  the  use  of  railroad  employees,  or  '  lovernmeut  contractors; 
will  not  '-c  permitted  to  remove  supplies  from  this  district,  except  by 
special  orders  from  these  headquarters,  or  from  the  War  Department; 
and  the  commissary  officers  and  ngents,  named  in  this  order,  will  see 
that  no  such  purchases  are  carried  into  effect  by  the  contracting  par- 
ties. 

This  order  is  not  intended  to  apply  to  necessaries  in  the  hands  of 
producers,  in  transitu  to   market,  which   have   not  been  sold  or  en- 
gaged to  be  sold  before  or  on  their  arrival  at  market. 
By  command  of 

Brig.  Gen.  JOHN  D.  IMBODEN, 

Commanding. 
G.  W.  McPhail,  Lieutenant  and  A.  D.  C. 


Headquarters,  Department  Western  Virginia, 
Dublin,  January  2G,  1864, 

General  :  I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  20th  instant,  enclos- 
ing the  following  resolution  adopted  by  the  House  of  Representatives, 
on  the  15th  instant,  viz  : 

"  Resolved,  That  the  Secretary  of  War  be  requested  to  inforiu  this 
Hou«e,  by  what  authority  Generals  Sam  Jones  and  Imboden  have 
prohibited  the  transportation  of  food  from  the  military  districts  in 
which  they  are  located  to  the  City  of  Richmond,  for  private  use  and 
consumption. 

"Very  respectfully, 

"  A.  R.  Lamar,  Clerk.'' 

"  Official :  John  Withers, 

"  Lieut.  Col.  and  Assistant  Adjutant  General. 
'*A.  ^  I.  G:s  Office,  January  19,  18C4." 

You  direct  me  to  forward  the  report  required. 

In  reply,  I  have  the  honor  to  state  that  I  have  never  prohibited  the 
transportation  of  food  from  this  military  department  to  the  city  of 
Richmond  for  private  use  and  consumption.  On  the  contrary,  I  have 
given  all  the  aid  in  my  power  to  facilitate  the  transportation  of  food 
for  purposes  specified  in  the  resolution. 

I  have  endeavored  to  prevent  speculators  and  extortioners,  whose 
chief  aims  in  life  seem  to  be  to  keep  out  of  military  service  and  en- 
rich themselves  by  preying  upon  the  necessities  of  better  men,  from 
fstripping  the  department  of  the  food  necessary  for  the  support  of  the 
army.  To  that  end,  I  have  addressed  letters  to  Thomas  H.  Ellis, 
•President  Jsmes  River  and  Kanawha  Canal,  and  R.  L.  Owens,  President 
Virginia  &  Tennessee  Railroad  ;  extracts  from  which,  together  with 
Mr.  Owens'  advertisement  in  a  Lynchburg  paper,  are  herewith  for- 
warded, marked  A,  B  and  C. 

Very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant,' 

SAM.  JONES, 
Major  General. 
General  S.  Cooper, 

Adj't  and  Insp'r  General^  C.  S.  A. ,  Richmond^  Va. 


[A] 

I]xtract. 

Headquarters  Department, W.  Virginta    and   E.  Tennessee,) 

Dubli7i,  November  7,    1863.      $ 

Sir: 

I  have  no  desire  whatever  to  diminish  the  usefulness  or  revenue  of 


the  company  of  which  you  are  Presideut.  I  only  desire  thai  it  shall 
be  used  to  the  best  interest  of  Government  and  community,  and  shall 
not  be  used  by  speculators  and  extortioners  to  transport  provisions 
out  of  the  department,  to  gratify  their  ov/n  inordinate  avarice  and 
embarrass  this  department  by  withlrawing  from  it  the  supplies 
needed  for  the  troops.  I  do  not  wish  to  interfere  in  the  slightest 
d-'groe  with  the  transpoitation  of  such  supplies  as  are  intended  in 
20od  faith  for  domestic  use. 

You  and  the  directors  of  the  company  are  certainly  as  much  inter- 
ested as  I  am  in  the  successful  termination  of  the  struggle  in  which 
we  are  engaged,  and  you  are  much  better  qualified  than  I  am  to 
manage  the  aftairs  of  your  company,  and  I  prefer  leaving  the  matter 
in  your  hands  with  the  single  and  earnest  request  that  our  worst 
enemies,  'he  speculators  and  extortioners  in  the  necessaries  of  life 
shall  not  use  your  canal  to  drain  this  department  and  fill  their  own 

pockets. 

*  *-•  «  *  *  *  *  *  .     * 

Very  respectfully,  <X:c.,  &c. 

8AM.  JUNES, 
Major  General. 
Thomas  H.  Ellis,  Es'^., 

President  James  River  and  Kanawha  Canal. 
Official  : 

Charles  Stringkellow, 

Assistant  Adjutant  General. 


[B] 
Extract. 


Headquarters  Department  W.   Virginia    and   E.  Tennessee, 

Dublin,  November    14,   18G3. 

K.   L.  Ovv^en,  Esq., 

President   Virginia  and  Tennessee  Railroad : 

iSiR :  Some  two  weeks  since  1  addressed  you  a  letter  in  regard  to 
the  transportation  of  supplies  from  this  department  over  the  Virginia 
and  Tennessee  railroad,  and  am  indebted  to  you  for  your  prompt 
attention  to  my  request.  I  was  induced  to  do  so  because  I  heard  thai 
the  specula.tors  were  purchasing  and  transporting  supplies  out  of  this 
department.  The  only  object  I  had  in  view  was  to  protect  the  army 
and  Government  by  preventing  those  harpies,  the  speculators  and 
extortioners,  from  stripping  the  department  of  subsistence.  I  had 
no  intention  whatever  of  interfering  with  the  ordinary  transportation 
of  freight  within  this  department,  or  the  transportation  out  of  it  of 
such  supplies  as  were  intended  in  good  faith  for  the  domestic  con- 
sumption of  the  parties  purchasing.  I  have  received  applications 
from  persons  asking  to  be  permitted  to  transport  provision  from  one 


puiut  iu  tlic  ilepaicttieut.  to   another,  from  which    1  inter  that  there  is 
some  misunderstanding  as  to  my  wishes. 

I  would  much  prefer  that  you  should  manage  all  such  matters  your- 
self, hileed,  it  is  with  greac  reluctance  that  I  ask  you  to  place  any 
restriction  whatever  on  the  trausportation  of  supplies  by  your  road., 
I  am  sure  that  we  bot/i  ha\e  the  same  object  in  view,  that  is,  that  the 
road  shall  be  used  to  the  best  advantage  for  the  interests  of  the  stock- 
holders and  the  couiraunity,  consistent  with  the  requirements  of  the 
army  and  the  efficient  working  of  the  Government.  If  you  will  aid 
)ae  in  the  accomplishment  of  these  objects  I  will  most  gladly  remove 
all  restrictions  and  leave  the  entire  management  of  the  road  to  you, 

who,  I  am  sure,  are  much  better  qualified  to  manage  it  than  1  am. 

*  *         '    ^.:  *  *  *  *  ■*  '■' 

Very  respectfully,  &c  ,  &c. 

SAM.  JONES, 
Major  General. 
Official : 

Charles   iSiKiNGt'ELLow, 

Assistant  Adjutant   General. 


fO] 

President's  Office,  Virginia  and  Tennessee  Railroad,  i> 

Lynchburg,  November  17,    I860.      ^ 

I  understand  there  are  parties  in  the  southwestern  counties  of  this 
State  buying  subsistence  supplies  and  claiming  to  be  agents  of  the 
company,  and  thereby  imposing  upon  the  eom.munity.  I,  therefore, 
give  notice  that  D.  W.  Kyle,  Manager  of  Supplies,  Robert  Mitchell, 
Wood  Agent,  and  W.  S.  Minor,  Agent  at  Bristol,  are  the  only  parties 
authorized  to  purchase  such  supplies  for  this  company.  The  restric- 
tions placed  by  the  military  authorities  upon  shipments  of  articles  of 
subsistence  are  intended  only  to  apply  to  speculators,  who  otherwise 
would  strip  the  department  of  the  subsistence  necessary  for  the  array 
there,  and  no  restrictions  upon  shipments  within  the  western  depart- 
ment, which  extends  from  Liberty  west,  nor  upon  shipments  east  of 
Liberty,  when  intended  for  private  consumption.  Any  party  desiring 
transportation  for  articles  fpr  the  consumption  of  his  family,  and 
coming  east  of  Liberty,  can  always  obtain  it  by  application  to  the 
office  of  T.  D.  Jellis.  Agent  of  Transportation  at  Lynchburg. 

ROBERT  L.  OWEN, 

President, 

HEADiiUARTERS    DEPARTMENT    WeST    ViRGINIA, 

January  26,   1864. 

Forwarded  with  my  letter  of  this  date  to  the  Adjutant  and  In- 
spector General.  SAM;  JONES, 

Major  General. 


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